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Dangerous Escalation Targeting Iraqi Media And Its Union
September 2008 witnessed dangerous escalation targeting Iraqi journalists, whether by arms or harassment, the result was the killing of five media staff.
The days of Saturday 13th.and 20th. were the most bloody Saturdays in the history of Iraqi journalism, in the first Saturday four of the Al-Sherqia S.TV were killed in Al-mousel city, during the other Saturday armed attack by buried under ground grenade near the entrance targeted the president of Iraqi Journalist Union president Moaid Al-Lami and the headquarters of IJU. The attacks continued against media staff during September.
In statistical briefing September 2008 witnessed the following attacks:
• In the morning of Saturday 13th. the staff of Al-Sherqia S.TV, three journalists and their driver, were kidnapped and killed after few minutes in Al-Zenjieli area within Al-Kerama District of Al-Mousel.
Al-Sherqia authorized source told Iraqi Media Safety Group "the killers were in modern four wheel drive when they kidnapped the staff nearby about two km. where they killed them. The staff is Messaab Al-Azawi director of Mousel office of Al-Sherqia, the photographers Ahmed Salem and Ihab Meaa'd and the driver Qidar Suleiman.
• Next day Sunday 14th. of September an explosion in Camp Sarah southeast Baghdad killed Kemal Aziz Khudheir the designer of Iraq newspaper, while he was in his way to work. Khudheir was thirty years old and in his first year of marriage.
• Arstees:2, one of them released after 24 hours:
In the mid of first week of September American Forces arrested Ibrahim Jasem Reuters photographer during an attack on his house in Al-Mehmodia. During about the same time Americans attacked with voice grenades and dogs the house of Umar Husham Muhemed in Al-Adhemia District, photographer of Baghdad S.TV, and arrested him.
The Americans in their both raids took the cameras and pcs of the photographers.
After 24 hours in Thursday the later was released, after the calls of Iraqi Journalists Union president condemning the haphazard arrest of journalists, and the calls of many politicians to release Muhemed.
• Armed Attacks On Journalists:7,six of them during the attack on IJU headquarters:
• On Tuesday 9th. of September an adhesive grenade exploded by the car of Jewad Al-Hetab,the famous writer and poet, the head of Al-Arabia S.TV in Iraq.
The driver notice something attached to the bottom of the car, so he asked his boss not to enter the car and they kept themselves far from the car, which was exploded after few minutes.
Al-Hatab told IMSG in a meeting directly after the event that " the attackers expect him to ride the car and the explosion will take place between crowded street.
• Near eleven o'clock of Saturday morning 20th. of September buried explosions blasted in the entrance of IJU headquarters, its weight was about 1.5km., according to police sources.
The explosion targeted the president of IJU Moaid Al-Lami when he left a meeting of the Union and appeared in the entrance when some nearby give the signal to the explosion according to the police source. He suffered from wounds in his hand and some interior injuries in the chest. His treatment took one week. Three other journalists and two guards were injured.
• On the next Sunday 21st.of September another explosion targeted Al-Byeneh newspaper.
• On the other day Monday 22nd. Another explosion targeted the house of Taha Aref editor in chief of Al-Menar newspaper. His family terrified and the glasses of the house were broken and its doors disrooted.
• Media Harassments:
In most of Iraqi governorates there is an unfortunate notion that the duty of media is to praise the officials " great achievements", and they have the full right to punish or at least to bother journalist who dare to criticize or discover their misbehavior.
This behavior was clear in three governorates:
- Al-Diwania where they asked Al-Hurra S.TV to change its correspondent Meithem Al-Sheibani because of his abusing coverage of the governorate news.
- Kerbela' governorate take many measures to bother Iman Belal of Al-Hurra also as result of its news coverage.
- Basra governorate council president did not tolerate the journalists' profession behavior and casting them out of a meeting, they were invited to attend on 28th. of September.
• Obstacles to the national and international free flow of information:
• Media staff of most of Iraqi and foreign media foundations in Iraq suffered of moral and physical mistreatment during the visit of Robert Gaits USA defense secretary to Iraqi prime minister Nori Al-Maleki Monday 15th. of September.
Media staff kept for more than 3 hours in an office where they were without any communication facilities and without any information about what was taking place, when the staff asked to leave, the guards refused to allow them, and they were forced by guards hands to stay.
The media staff decided to boycott the coverage of the visit.
• The most important result of the death escalation in killing journalists is talk between the prime minister and the secretary of IJU council Saadi Al-Sebeaa' on the prime minister belief that the project of legalizing protection law to defend media staff took long time and there is a serious need to approve the project which was suggested by IJU.
On the other hand Dr. Mufied Al-Jeza'ri head of culture, media and tourism committee in parliament announced that Journalism protection draft law needs two months before present it to the Iraqi parliament.
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